Double patterned top hosiery



y 30, 1961 A. o. CORMIER 2,986,025

DOUBLE PATTERNED TOP HOSIERY Filed Dec. 4, 1.958 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 E so INVENTOR. Alcide 0. Cormler ATTORNEY May 30, 1961 May 30, 1961 A. o. CORMIER DOUBLE PATTERNED TOP HOSIERY Filed Dec. 4, 1958 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 5

INVENTOR.

Alcide 0. Cormier ATTORNEY May 30, 1961 A. o. CORMIER DOUBLE PATTERNED TOP HOSIERY 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed Dec. 4, 1958 FIG. 7

INVENTOR.

Alci e O. Cormier ATTORNEY May 30, 1961 A. o. CORMIER DOUBLE PATTERNED TOP HOSIERY '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 Filed Dec. 4, 1958 FIG FIG.9

AT TORNE Y 2,986,025 I DOUBLE PATTERNED'TOP HOSIERY Alcide O. Cormier, L'aconia, N.H., ass'ignor to Corinier Hosiery Mills, Inc., Laconia, N.H., a corporation Filed Dec. 4,1958, Ser. hlo.778,101

Claims. ores-r12 {Thisinventionrelates toknitting of hosiery and,.'more particularly, to a knit stocking top including twodistinct types of stitches and a novel elastic yarn course sequence especially adapted. to the type of stitch with whicheit is included.

Stocking tops according 1to the present invention are made on the cylinder needles and sinkers of a circular.

knitting machine by using a novel combination of different type stitches, such as knit stitches and held-tuck loops, and a novel course sequence of elastic yarns.

More particularly, the stocking tops include alternating.

sections, or course sequences, one section or sequence COmprising protuberances or popcorn stitches, in a predetermined pattern and the other section; onsequence comprising a coarse imitation rib stitch. i

The protuberance-forming or popcorn stitch sequence mined number of courses, such as courses, in which selected needles tuck only. The other courses, ,suchas 2 courses, have elastic yarn interlaced thereinto with all needles clearing. For example, the first and-last courses may be clearing courses with interlaced elastic yarn. However, the number of clearing courses maybe reduced I or these courses maybe deleted, and .the elastic yarn may be interlaced for one, two, or more courses in the final or beginning tuck courses. On other words, the'use of two clearing courses each containing interlaced, elastic yarn is a preferred procedure only, and a very similar,

pattern may be formed with one, two, or three elastic yarns, and the elastic yarns may be interlaced :into the final or starting tuck courses or both.

The coarse imitation rib-stitch sequence is made by removing the sinker withdrawing cam sothat all-sinkers remain extended as they pass the main yarn feed. -The regular yarn is thus draw-n overthe sinker nebs rather than the sinker throats, and forms loose coarse stitches. Elastic yarn is interlaced into all courses of this sequence.

In a preferred form of top, a plural course elastic yarn selvedge is followed by a protuberance-forming sequence succeeded by a rib stitch sequence after which a second protuberance-forming sequence may be knit. Alternatively, the plural course elastic yarn selvedge may be followed by the rib stitch sequence in turn followed by a protuberance-forming sequence. The alternating sequences may be further repeated as desired. Varied effects may be obtained by using different colored yarns in successive portions of the protuberance-forming sequences. The particular selvedge here described is exemplary only, as the selvedge may contain a single round of elastic yarn, or alternatively the top may be started by a welt containing elastic yarn or not as desired, all this being well understood by those skilled in the art.

For an understanding of the invention principles, reference is made to the following descriptions of typical embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a stretched elevation view of part of a stocking top embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a stitch diagram of the selvedge and two multicourse protuberance forming sequences; i

Fig. 3 is a partial stitch diagram of the protuberanceforming sequence; I

Fig. 4 is a stitch diagram illustrating the stitch sequence of the coarse imitation rib sequence; and

Figs. 5 to 10 are elevation views of various forms of stocking tops embodying the invention.

While stocking tops embodying the invention prefer-' ably are made by starting with bare needles, they may bev made as string workfi especially if a pull or parting course is formed between stockings in any well known way. By way of specific example, after a formed stocking is cast from the needles'by'removal of'the yarns at com '5 pletion of the loopers waste courses, the machine makes several revolutions with bare'needles and no yarns fed to the needles. At thistime, the latches of all needles are opened in any known manner, such as by use of the a latch opener of Scott U.S. Patent No. 1,574,703.

' contains a predetermined number of courses, such as 1.2v courses for example, and may include a smaller deter-j To start the stocking top, an elastic y-arn 20 is fed to the books of alternate needles at a position spaced from the regular knitting point or yarn feed. This elastic yarn may be covered or bare natural or synthetic rubber or elastic polymers of the type disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 2,623,031. A typical example of a suitable elastic yarn may be that presently known to the art as Dupont Fiber K. The alternateneedles carry elastic yarn 20 down until itis engaged by the nebs of the sinkers.

the double throat sinkers of Morin U.S. application Ser.

No. 716,628, filed February 21, 1958.

All needles pass the regular yarn feed station at tuck level, so that elastic yarn 20 is retained in the hooks of alternate needles without being cast ofi, the yarn 20 being positioned in the throats ofthe sinkers, or the lower throats of the double throat sinkers, under the sinker nebs.

After four or more revolutions with elastic yarn 20 fed to alternate needles as above, a regular yarn 30 is 'fed to all needles at the regular yarn feeding point.

All needles, prior to taking the regular yarn 30 are raised sufficiently to clear their latches of elastic yarn 20. The accumulated elastic yarn strands are thus cast off during the first revolution of knitting with. regular yarn 30, to make a selvedge 25 best seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4.

The selvedge may alternately contain but one round of elastic yarn in which case the needles need not pass the knitting cams at tuck height but rather the yarn is introduced as soon as the needles carrying the interlaced elastic yarn reach the throat plate as described in Getaz Patent 2,054,217, or alternatively the top may be started with an out-turned welt as per Scott Patent 1,045,620 and elastic yarn may be included or not as desired. Of course, the top may also be started with an inturned welt providing the machine is equipped with a dial.

Upon completion of selvedge 25, regular yarn 30 is taken and knit by all needles during the following revoltition to form the course containing tuck loops 35 of Figs. 2, 4 and 5. Elastic yarn 20 is fed to the alternate needles during this revolution at a position spaced from the regular yarn feed point, resulting in the interlacing of an elastic yarn strand. From Figs. 1, 2 and 3, it will be noted that elastic yarn 20 is not fed to the needles forming loops 35 but rather to the wales W3, W5, W7, W9, etc. on each side of wales W4, W8, W12.

When this second course is completed, the elastic yarn 2! is no longer fed to the alternate needles. The needles forming loops 35 are raised only to the tuck position during the next 10 courses, so that these needles accumulate loops 35. When the eleventh course has been Patented May 30, 1961 7 While single throat sinkers may be used, it is preferred to use 1 12A in Fig. 3, is then formed in the same manner as the first sequenceof 12 courses except that loops 35A -are now held on the needles as wales W4,W8, W12, etc. intermediate the needles previously used to hold the loops. A regular yarn 30 of the same or a difierent color as that usedimthe first sequence maybe used inthe second sequence. Elastic yarn 20"is fed to alternate needles incourses-12 and 1A resulting in interlacing of elastic strands23, 24.

In-the selected example, a third twelve course'sequence is thenforrned, including course 1B through 12B, with the tuck loops 35B being formed on the same needles 7 usedto hold the first tuck loops V35. Elastic strands 26, 27 arelinterlaced into courses 12A and 1B by feeding elastic yarn 20 to alternate needlesin these courses.

The coarse imitation rib stitch sequence is then formed, in the selected example, with a stitch sequence as shown in Fig. 4. Following completion of course 12B, the sinker cam at the main feed, normally retracting the sinkers atthe main-feed to permit the fed yarn to be drawn into the sinker throats, is removed from action. Thus, the sinkers are no longer retracted at the main feed during the rib stitch sequence. As a result, the stitches are drawn over the sinker nebs, with the formation of loose coarse stitches 45. Regular yarn 30 is fed to all needles and elastic yarn 20 is interlaced in each course by being fed to alternate needles. This results in the formation of the imitation heavy rib 40 as best seen in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 through 10.

Formation of the imitation heavy rib may complete the stocking top or other protuberance forming sequences may follow the rib stitch sequence as shown in Figs. 6,'

7 and 10.

In each of the drawing figures, the popcorn stitch protuberances are indicated at 36, with 36" indicating those protuberances where a different coloredyarn was used in the intermediate protuberance-forming sequences. In the embodiment of Fig. 5, one triple sequence of the protuberance-forming type is made immediately following selvedge 25, and the same colored yarn is used throughout. In Fig. 6, a different colored yarn is used in the intermediate protuberance-forming sequence.

The stocking tops of Figs. 7 and 8 include three triple protuberance-forming sequences with rib stitch sequences 40 therebetween. In Fig. 7, a different colored yarn is used in each intermediate protuberance-forming sequence and in Fig. 8, the same color yarn is used throughout.

Figs. 9 and 10 illustrate two triple protuberance-forming sequences separated by a relatively long rib stitch sequence 40. In Fig. 9, the same color regular yarn is used throughout each protuberance-forming sequence, whereas in Fig. 10 a different colored yarn is used in each intermediate sequence.

As stated, the selvedge 25 may be followed immediately by a rib stitch sequence, if desired, with one or more following groups of protubernace-forming sequences, the groups being separated by additional rib stitch sequences.

The protuberance-forming tucks may be grouped in various ways without departing from the invention. An example. of such difierent grouping is shown in my application Ser. No. 700,-355'.-

While specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described in detail" to illustrate the application of the invention principles, itwill be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise without departing from such principles.

What is claimed is:

1. A knit stocking top comprising alternating first and second portions each knit of regular yarn with selectively interlaced elastic yarn; each first portion comprising at least. three rows of protuberances with the protuberances of each row being staggered relative to those of the adjacent rows; each second portion comprising coarse imitation rib stitches.

2. A knit stocking top as claimed in claim 1 in which there are two first portions separated by a second portion.

3. A knit stocking top as claimed in claim 1 including two first portions alternated with two second portions.

4. A'stocking top comprising an elastic selvedge followed by' at least two portions each knit of regular yarn with selectively interlaced elastic yarn; one portion comprising protuberances caused by tucking on spaced needles and interlacing an elastic yarn in courses bordering the start and completion of tuck courses; and a second portion comprising loose knit imitation rib stitches and rubber interlaced in each course.

5. A stocking top comprising at least two portions each knit of regular yarn with selectively interlaced elastic yarn; oneportion comprising protuberances formed by multiple course tucking on spaced needles and interlaced rubber at the bordering courses at the start and completion of the multiple course tuck stitches; a second portion comprising coarse imitation rib stitches and interlaced rubber in each course; the courses containing the imitation rib stitches having a greater length of yarn per course than those courses containing tuck stitches.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,301,658 Nebel Nov. 10, 1942 2,311,166 Fregeolle Feb. 16, 1943 2,319,955 Smith May 25, 1943 2,324,036 Smith July 13, 1943 2,431,068 Minton Nov. 18, 1947 

